Great news for fans of The Office – David Brent has checked into our Premier Inn Slough West (Slough Trading Estate) hotel!

This year marks 25 years since The Office first hit our TV screens and to celebrate, we’ve unveiled a sculpture of David Brent at our Premier Inn Slough West (Slough Trading Estate) hotel!

 

Our hotel was once the filming location for exterior shots of the Wernham Hogg building, so we decided to commission a clay creation of Ricky Gervais’ most iconic character to welcome guests at this iconic spot. 

 

Our hotel was once the filming location for exterior shots of the Wernham Hogg building, so we decided to commission a clay creation of Ricky Gervais’ most iconic character to welcome guests at this iconic spot. 

 

The beloved TV show followed the fortunes of David Brent from regional manager in a paper office to life on the road as a travelling salesman. The statue was unveiled at our Slough hotel by David Brent impersonator Tim Oliver, who treated us to some of the signature dance moves that helped make Berkshire-born writer Gervais internationally famous.
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David Brent

Fans of The Office will be pleased to know that the bust - which took 120 hours to make and weighs seven kilograms - will be a permanent installation at our hotel.

 

A spokesperson for Premier Inn said: “The exact site of the world’s most famous office, Wernham Hogg, is now a Premier Inn and so we’re thrilled to unveil this brilliant tribute to mark its place in British comedy history.

 

“Ricky’s iconic character truly put Slough on the map, and it’s only fitting to honour him with this memorable statue, which we hope will be particularly popular with some of the millions of business travellers who stay with us each year.

 

“Whilst the building itself is totally transformed – our guests are more likely to be interested in pillows than photocopiers – eagle-eyed fans will certainly spot the similarity in the footprint of the site.”
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Alongside the new statue, we also decided to do a little survey of all things The Office, asking 2000 adults for their opinions on this iconic series. Our research found that 72% consider the show a nostalgic snapshot of what working life was like in the early 2000s.

 

David Brent’s unforgettable Comic Relief dance topped a list of favourite moments related to the show, with 26% of the vote. Dawn returning to the Christmas party to kiss Tim in the festive special came in second place with 15%, while 13% selected Tim’s stapler-in-jelly prank from the very first episode.

 

Unsurprisingly, 68% are glad they don’t work in an environment like Wernham Hogg – the fictional office of David Brent. Elements of working life people believe have improved since the show first premiered include flexible working hours (39%), better office technology (28%), an increased focus on wellbeing (20%), and a greater diversity in teams (16%), according to the OnePoll.com figures. 
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A spokesperson for Premier Inn also said:  “From tech to business attire, office life has changed drastically in the 25 years since the show aired but what hasn’t changed is the need for business travellers to know what they’re getting with a great night’s sleep in a comfortable room ready to face the day – no matter how embarrassing their boss is”.

 

Our study also saw Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, creators of The Office, named the best comedy writing duo of the 21st century with 16% of the vote, closely followed by James Corden and Ruth Jones, writers of Gavin & Stacey (15%), and Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders (12%).

 

Check out our hotels in Slough and book your next break with us today!
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Premier Inn Slough West (Trading Estate) – unveils tribute as The Office turns 25